1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air vents for ventilating a device having a light source. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air vent assembly that blocks direct light without substantially restricting the flow of air through the vent.
2. Background Information
Devices requiring a light source for generating light, such as a projection display apparatus, an arc lamp, a laser device and the like, need to be ventilated to dissipate heat generated by the light while minimizing or preventing the escape of direct light emitted by the device. These types of devices are therefore typically equipped with an air vent.
The air vent permits the exchange of warm air from the interior of the device for cooler air exterior to the device. Projection display apparatuses in particular are often further equipped with fans to increase the airflow to accelerate the exchange of air. Thus, it is important to provide air vents that do not restrict or impede the flow of air from the interior to the exterior of the device to allow for maximum ventilation. As projection display apparatuses and the like get smaller and more sophisticated, it is also important to provide highly scalable air vents that are adaptable to a wide range of devices. The air vents should be easy to manufacture and lightweight enough to complement small, lightweight devices.
Prior art air vents are typically molded from a single tooled part. Consequently, prior art air vents are not only expensive to manufacture, but also difficult to redesign for use in new devices that may require larger, smaller, or differently shaped air vents. Retooling machinery to manufacture a redesigned air vent can also be expensive, requiring development resources and even new machinery.
Moreover, the manufacture of air vents from a single tooled part imposes certain limitations on the thickness of the individual louvers of the air vent as well as the distance between adjacent louvers. The thickness of the louvers and the distance between them dictate to a great degree the amount of air that flows through a vent. Prior art louvers with a greater thickness do not minimize airflow and, generally, do not minimize weight. For example a louver with a thickness of 5 millimeters (mm) will weigh more than a louver with a thickness of 3 mm made of the same material and having the same length and width. While some prior art air vents may be constructed out of thinner material such as sheet metal, those vents are typically simple single-vaned structures that are not capable of maximizing airflow and light blockage as is needed in devices having a light source for generating light, such as a projection display apparatus, an arc lamp, or a laser device.
Hence, what is needed is an air vent assembly that is scalable, easily adapted to a wide assortment of devices, and that maximizes airflow and light blockage.
A method and apparatus for an air vent assembly is provided in which individual louvers and spacers are connected together to form chevron shaped channels that allow increased air flow while blocking the escape of direct light. According to one aspect of the invention, the louvers are formed into a chevron shape that extends lengthwise from one end of the louver to another end of the louver. According to another aspect of the invention, the spacers are chevron shaped and interlock or are bonded with one another to secure the louvers and to provide a support structure such that additional spacers and louvers may be stacked together as needed to form an air vent for use in a given device.
According to one aspect of the invention, numerous variations in the length, width, and thickness of the louvers and corresponding variations in the size of the spacers may be employed to quickly assemble an optimal air vent for a number of different devices, including presentation projectors, arc lamps, laser devices and the like, thereby eliminating the need for extensive redesign of an air vent when a new device requiring ventilation is developed.